The ICSE council will conduct two examinations, one at the end of each semester, for both the ICSE (Class X) and the ISC (Class XII) students in the academic year 2021-22.

The first semester exam will be conducted in November on the portion of the syllabus specified for that period in the reduced syllabus for the ICSE and ISC exams for this academic year.

It will be an MCQ-based, online exam, a circular issued by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) said.

The second semester exam will be conducted in March or April next year on the portion specified for the second semester. The exam will be conducted online or offline, depending on the pandemic situation.

The “semester-wise bifurcated theory syllabus for Classes X and XII” is available on the council website under the head “Publications”.

The circular, signed by Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary of the council, and addressed to principals, carries details of the “modified assessment plan” for the ICSE and the ISC.

It says that each of the two end-semester exams will have equal weightage during the computation of the board results.

The council had to cancel both the ICSE and ISC board exams this year because of the pandemic.

“In view of the continuing pandemic situation in the country and the disruption in educational activities brought about due to extended lockdowns, and the various alternate modes of syllabus transaction that need to be adopted, due to the closure of schools, the CISCE had carried out an extensive exercise of syllabus review,” Arathoon said.

The question papers for each semester exam will carry 80/100 marks for the ICSE and 70/80 marks for the ISC, according to the maximum marks now allocated to the theory component of the subjects, the circular says.

For the ISC results, in addition to the exams conducted at the end of each of the two semesters, the candidates will be assessed on practical/ project work, the circular says.

It adds that if the situation permits, the ISC practicals will be conducted with visiting examiners setting the practical question papers based on guidelines and instructions from the council.

“In case the situation is not conducive due to the pandemic, and candidates are unable to come to their respective schools to take the practical examination... (online/virtual mode) will be exercised,” the circular says.

For the ICSE, in addition to the semester exams the candidates will be evaluated on the basis of “internal assessments”, whose weightage remains unchanged, the circular says.

The council has asked the schools to ensure that all the candidates finish the stipulated practical/ project work/ internal assessment as specified in the reduced syllabuses for the ICSE and the ISC.

“Schools must maintain a record of all work done by candidates for practical/ project work/ internal assessment. The CISCE may ask schools to send sample/s of work done by the candidates, should the need arise,” the circular says.

It says the council will “not be conducting the Class IX and XI examinations during the academic year 2021-22”.

“There is no change in the syllabus for Classes IX and XI,” the circular adds.

Arathoon told The Telegraph: “The exam by the council will ensure uniformity as far as question papers and assessment is concerned across schools in the country.”